What did you learn about conflict before you ever had words for it?

Perhaps disagreement meant raised voices. Perhaps it meant silence, distance, or keeping the peace at the expense of what you really wanted to say. Whatever the experience, we each carry a personal conflict story into our relationships, often without realizing how much it shapes the way we respond.

In Part 1 of this three-part Rooted & Wild series, I’m joined by Jim Rottman, Co-Founder of Rottman Consulting and co-author of The Confluence Method™, to explore the beliefs, expectations, and familiar patterns we bring into difficult conversations.

Jim brings more than 25 years of senior leadership experience across biotechnology, financial services, and automotive, including global roles at Roche, Genentech, American Express, and Volvo Cars, where he most recently served as Global Head of Culture and Inclusion. Today, he helps leadership teams navigate pressure, work through conflict, and rebuild trust when change or disagreement has divided the room.

But the questions at the heart of this conversation reach far beyond the workplace.

What do we assume when someone disagrees with us? What does our instinct to defend, withdraw, or smooth things over reveal about how we understand conflict? And how can we make room for another person’s perspective while staying connected to our own?

Together, we explore how recognizing our personal conflict story can help us approach tension with greater awareness and intention. Whether you’re navigating a difficult conversation with a partner, a family member, a friend, or a colleague, this episode invites you to become curious about what you bring into the room.

Think of a disagreement you keep replaying. Beneath what was said, what did you believe was at stake?

That question is where our series begins.

Continue the series:
Part 2: Healthy Conflict: How Teams and Relationships Can Turn Tension Into Growth
Part 3: Repair After Conflict: The Science of Rebuilding Trust and Connection

Connect with Jim:
https://www.rottmanconsulting.com

Explore the book, The Confluence Method™:
https://www.theconfluencemethod.com

If this conversation resonates, follow Rooted & Wild and share this episode with someone who’s interested in understanding their own relationship with conflict.

Rooted & Wild provides general information for educational and informational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guest speakers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Henry Hawk. The content shared on this podcast is not intended to replace individualized medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice, nor should it be used to diagnose or treat any health condition. Listeners are encouraged to consult with qualified healthcare professionals regarding any medical or mental health concerns.

We have access to more health information than at any other point in history.

And somehow, figuring out who—or what—to trust has become harder than ever.

Search for almost any health question online and you’ll find thousands of articles, videos, opinions, products, practitioners, and promises. And when you step into the world of Complementary, Holistic, and Integrative (CHI) Health, the possibilities become even greater—but so does the challenge of navigating them.

How do you find credible information?

How do you know whether a practitioner is experienced and trustworthy?

And how do you explore different approaches to your health without surrendering your own intuition, discernment, or ability to advocate for yourself?

In this episode of Rooted & Wild, I’m joined by entrepreneur, facilitator, speaker, and writer Esther Sarlo, founder of Mynd Myself.

Esther and her team created Mynd Myself in response to what they saw as a profound gap: there was no centralized space where people could explore credible information from across the Complementary, Holistic, and Integrative Health landscape while also connecting with vetted, experienced practitioners.

At the heart of Mynd Myself is a beautifully simple idea:

You should be empowered to become your own best health advocate.

That doesn’t mean navigating your health alone. It means having access to information, perspectives, resources, and people who can help you ask better questions and make more informed choices—while feeling safe, heard, seen, and supported along the way.

Esther takes us inside the story and philosophy behind Mynd Myself, the problem she originally set out to solve, and the much larger vision beginning to emerge around what this platform could become.

And there’s another reason for this conversation.

Over the past several months, Esther and I have been having some very interesting conversations behind the scenes about Mynd Myself, its future, and what might be possible if we brought our respective experience and visions together.

Those conversations have led somewhere neither of us necessarily anticipated.

And in this episode, we finally get to share the news.

This isn’t simply a conversation about another health platform.

It’s a conversation about creating a place where conventional wisdom can meet complementary perspectives, where practitioners and seekers can find one another, and where people are encouraged to become active participants in their own health journeys.

And for both Esther and me, it marks the beginning of a very exciting new chapter.

Learn more about Mynd Myself:

https://www.myndmyself.com/

Rooted & Wild provides general information for educational and informational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guest speakers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Henry Hawk. The content shared on this podcast is not intended to replace individualized medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice, nor should it be used to diagnose or treat any health condition. Listeners are encouraged to consult with qualified healthcare professionals regarding any medical or mental health concerns.

The blue pill or the red pill?

There’s a moment when the familiar begins to feel strange. You’re going through your day, doing what you’ve always done, and suddenly you wonder how so much of your life became something to get through.

You followed the instructions. Earned the degree. Got the job. Took on the payments. Each promise of freedom came with another obligation—and living kept slipping further into the future.

After the debt. After the next promotion. After retirement.

But somewhere inside, you’re growing tired of waiting.

The world keeps getting louder. The future feels less certain. And beneath the pressure to keep up, keep working, keep becoming, there’s a voice you may have spent years trying to quiet.

What happens when you finally listen?

This episode of Rooted & Wild is for anyone who has looked at the life they’ve built and felt a longing they couldn’t quite explain. Anyone who is tired of postponing joy, performing certainty, or wondering whether there’s still time to choose something different.

Perhaps you’ve felt it for a while.

Perhaps that’s why you’re here.

Rooted & Wild provides general information for educational and informational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guest speakers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Henry Hawk. The content shared on this podcast is not intended to replace individualized medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice, nor should it be used to diagnose or treat any health condition. Listeners are encouraged to consult with qualified healthcare professionals regarding any medical or mental health concerns.